Tennessee Titans

Titans vs Ravens (Keith Allison / Flickr.com)

The Tennessee Titans were originally known as the Houston Oilers and were formed in 1960 as one of the original American Football League teams. They now compete in the National Football League in the American Football Conference South division. Relocating from Houston to Nashville in 1997, they changed their name to the Tennessee Titans.

The Titans play their home games at the Nissan Stadium in Nashville and have sold out the stadium every match to date. They have made just one appearance at a Super Bowl in 1999, unfortunately being defeated by the St Louis Rams. Despite this, the team has made plenty of visits to the playoffs and they remain a well-supported member of the NFL family.

Fast Facts

Full Name: Tennessee Titans

Conference: American Football Conference

Division: South

Location: Nashville, Tennessee

Stadium Name: Nissan Stadium

Year Established: 1960

Owner: KSA Industries

Head Coach: Mike Mularkey

Manager: John Robinson

Nickname: None

Mascot: T-Rac

Team Colours: Navy, Titans blue, red, silver

History

Former Quarterback, Steve McNair

(Action Sports Photography / Shutterstock.com)

The history of the Tennessee Titans goes back to 1960 when they were one of the original teams to form the American Football League. Known originally as the Houston Oilers, with their star quarterback George Blanda, they won the first ever AFL title in 1960 and then won it again the following year. The Oilers made the title game once again in 1962 but this time they lost out to the Dallas Texans in a close match. The Oilers’ form then dropped off considerably posting four consecutive losing seasons and in 1967 George Blanda was released. Form was recovered in the late 60s with the Oilers appearing in the playoffs in 1967 and 1969.

As well as the 1970s bringing the AFL and NFL together, it also saw the Oilers form dip once again, winning just one game in both 1972 and 1973. Results gradually improved after this throughout the 70s and this was down to the appointment of 'Bum' Phillips in 1975 as head coach. The Oilers finally made their next appearance in the playoffs in 1978. The team at this stage had some big names, including the running back Earl Campbell and Billy Johnson. Despite this, and several playoff berths, by the time the 80s came, it saw the Oilers return to the bottom of the AFL standings for the next few years.

It was not until 1984 that Oilers fans had anything to cheer about. The Oilers signed Warren Moon from the Canadian Football League who helped form one of the league’s best offenses leading the Oilers to seven straight playoff berths from 1987 to 1993. However, they did not manage to advance to a single conference championship in any of these years. The Oilers owners were disappointed and this led to them trading away many of the team’s better players, including quarterback, Warren Moon, and this resulted in a 2-14 record in the 1994 season. However, disappointment would not last long and the Oilers promoted their defense coach, Jeff Fisher, to head coach and he would go on to oversee the franchise’s most successful period.

The first few seasons under Fisher were dominated by off-field rather than on-field dramas and they saw the Oilers relocate to Nashville in 1997, their new stadium being finished in 1999. Because of this relocation, the Houston Oilers were rechristened the Tennessee Titans. 1999 saw the Titans win 13 games, much of this success being down to the excellent performances of quarterback, Steve McNair, and Eddie George, running back. It saw them make their first and only Super Bowl appearance against the St Louis Rams, losing 23-16.

The 21st century has seen mixed fortunes for the Titans. Making the playoffs in 2000, 2002, 2003, 2007, and 2008, they have never made a return to the Super Bowl and are now currently in their longest postseason drought since the franchise relocated to Nashville.

Super Bowl Appearances

1999 Super Bowl XXXIV St Louis Rams 21 - Tennessee Titans 16

Super Bowl XXXIV was played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. The Titans first and only Super Bowl appearance – it saw them dominated by the Rams throughout most of the game. Despite a fourth quarter fight back that saw them score 10 points, the Titans were defeated by 23 points to 16. The game has since been referred to as the ‘Dot-com Super Bowl’ thanks to the number of tech advertisements that were shown during the TV broadcast. Over 88 million watched the game on TV and they were treated to a National Anthem sung by Faith Hill and a star-studded halftime show that featured Phil Collins, Enrique Iglesias, and Christina Aguilera.

Stadium

Nissan Stadium (photo.ua / Shutterstock.com)

The Tennessee Titans play at the Nissan Stadium, formerly known as the Adelphia Coliseum, the Coliseum, and the LP Field. Nissan bought the naming rights in 2015. The stadium is situated at 1 Titans Way, Nashville, Tennessee and is owned by the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. Located on the east bank of the Cumberland River, it has a total seating capacity of just over 69,000 and features three levels of seating, including various luxury suites.

The stadium has proved to be lucky for the Tennessee Titans and have a 45-27 record to date there. The stadium has been a complete sell-out for every Titans home game since it opened thanks to huge season ticket sales. As well as being the home game of the Tennessee Titans and the Tennessee State Tigers, it has also played host to a large number of soccer games. This has included numerous national team games, as well as a number of games between Major League Soccer sides.

It has also played host to a large number of concerts and events. This includes the CMA Music Festival – a four-day music festival centered on country music – hosted each June by the Country Music Association in Nashville, Tennessee.

Famous Players

Steve McNair (1995-2005)

‘Air’ McNair is undoubtedly the best player ever to play for the Titans. Taking them to the playoffs four times and winning a Most Valuable Player award (shared with Peyton Manning), he also made the Pro-Bowl three times, as well as winning a Walter Payton Award in 1993. McNair threw a total of 156 touchdowns in his time with the Titans and rushed for 36 more. Sadly, the story of Steve McNair has a tragic end, being killed in a murder-suicide in 2009.

Bruce Matthews (1983-2001)

The only member of the franchise to ever make the Hall of Fame, he appeared in a staggering 14 Pro-Bowls and was an All-Pro 10 times. Said by many to be the best ever center to play the game of football, he remains a popular figure and one that Titans fans will remember for a long time.

Keith Bullock (2000-2009)

Said by many to be the best defensive player in the history of the Titans, despite his ferocious tackling on the field, Bullock is one of the nicest people you could meet off the field. A three-time All-Pro, he may not have been the most creative or entertaining player but he was tough, resilient, and consistent.

Eddie George (1996-2003)

The best running back to play for the Titans – in his eight years as a Titan, he only ever missed the 1000 yard mark once. A four time Pro-Bowler, he was also inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2011.

Did You Know?

Celebrity fans of the Tennessee Titans include singer, songwriter, and actor Tim McGraw.

The Tennessee Titans were formerly known as the Houston Oilers.

The Oilers were the first ever winners of the American Football League.

The first person to have both played for the Oilers/Titans franchise and also become their coach is Mike Munchak.

Jerry Glanville, the former head coach of the Titans, was well known for leaving game tickets for dead celebrities at the gate. He usually chose Elvis Presley.